The 31-year-old ended his association with Billy Nelson and has teamed up with Essex coach Tony Sims as he prepares to face Montenegro's Dejan Zlaticanin.

Ricky Burns promotes his latest fight and vows to win another world title.

Ricky Burns says he had to change trainers in a bid to become world champion again.

The 31-year-old ended his association with Billy Nelson and has teamed up with Essex coach Tony Sims, who looks after fellow lightweight Kevin Mitchell and British heavyweight hopeful Anthony Joshua.

Defeat in March to American Terence Crawford, who claimed Burns’ WBO lightweight belt, prompted a parting of the ways and a move in a new direction.

And Burns, who insists there has been no fall-out with Nelson, admits he’s already loving life down south with Sims.

“I just can’t wait to get back into the ring,” said the Coatbridge fighter at Glasgow’s Marriott Hotel last Wednesday.

“Obviously, I’ve made a few changes since the last fight and switched trainers but I feel it was the right choice to make. I had to freshen things up.

“There hasn’t been a fall-out with Billy. I just needed a change. It was like the same scenario I had with Rab Bannan at the Barn Boxing Club a few years ago. I had to do it for myself.

“I’m just so much happier with the boxing side of things with Tony. I knew what kind of set up Tony had which is why I spoke with Eddie [Hearn] and Alex [Morrison] to see if he would take me on.

“The training methods are totally different and we’re coming up with some new ideas.

“Everything is good about the gym down there. The sparring is great and I’m able to get away from all of the distractions. I can just concentrate on the boxing.

“I’m really enjoying things right now and looking to the future.”

Burns returns to action on Friday, June 27, at the Braehead Arena when he faces little-known Dejan Zlaticanin from Montenegro for the WBC International lightweight title.

The winner will get a shot at the WBC lightweight crown, possibly before the end of the year, with the Podgorica puncher boasting a perfect record of 18 victories from 18 fights.

“I’m coming into this training camp really determined but I’ve a point to prove more to myself,” added Burns.

“People are entitled to their opinion. People were saying that I was shot after I took on Crawford. They were saying it before the fight.

“But all of the changes that have happened have made me more determined, more hungry.

“I want to go out there and show people that I can still fight for world titles.”

Burns’ training will see him based in Essex for a month from next week. It means time away from wife Amanda and eight-month-old son Leon but he knows these are the sacrifices that have to be made to get back to the top.

“I’ll be away for four weeks,” he said. “Amanda says she will try to come down whenever she can.

“She knew that I had to do this for myself. She didn’t want me looking back on my career and thinking ‘I should have done this’ or ‘I should have done that’.

“Being away from Leon is hard. You see how quickly he’s growing when I go away for one or two weeks at a time. But Amanda sends photos or we have Facetime on the phone, so I will see him.”

Caldercruix’s David Brophy is also on the Braehead bill and looking to be tested.

He said: “I don’t know who I’m fighting yet but I’m hoping to step up again.